Our Mission
The REH Coalition is dedicated to defending and strengthening rural healthcare by protecting the REH program, reinstating essential services, and ensuring that every rural community receives the care it rightfully deserves. Under the leadership of Quentin Whitwell of Progressive Health Group, the Coalition works to preserve access to rural healthcare by championing policy reforms, securing vital funding, and protecting the future of emergency and outpatient services in underserved areas. He has played a leading role in advancing the REH model, by successfully guiding eight facilities through the REH conversion process.
About Rural Emergency Hospitals
The Rural Emergency Hospital program was established through the 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act and implemented on January 1, 2023, the REH designation was a critical step forward in safeguarding emergency and outpatient services in rural America. However, recent developments have begun to erode the program's intended impact. The withdrawal of critical subsidies, misinterpretations of eligibility criteria, and the exclusion of vital services have placed rural healthcare providers in increasingly precarious positions.
Rural hospitals are also facing growing threats to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted medications to eligible facilities. For REHs and Critical Access Hospitals, these savings are essential to sustaining pharmacy services and covering uncompensated care. Losing 340B support would further strain rural healthcare and reduce access for vulnerable patients.
Without immediate, coordinated advocacy, we risk further destabilization of rural healthcare access nationwide.